{"id":177262,"date":"2025-02-18T20:38:28","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T10:38:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=59927"},"modified":"2025-02-18T20:38:28","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T10:38:28","slug":"the-channel-tunnel-is-largely-underused-for-rail-freight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=177262","title":{"rendered":"\u2018The Channel Tunnel is largely underused for rail freight\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

A \u201cmonopolistic\u201d approach by the two companies currently offering rail freight services through the Channel Tunnel linking France and the UK is seriously hindering the market\u2019s development, according to Europorte chairman and CEO, Rapha\u00ebl Doutrebente. \u201cI think rail freight via the Tunnel only represents 10 per cent of the annual capacity available \u2013 one million tonnes of goods, whereas the potential is estimated at 10 million tonnes.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>Doutrebente, who is also president of France\u2019s rail freight association Alliance 4F, highlighted that the Fixed Link is largely underused for freight train activity at a time when the French, UK and European authorities are calling for a modal shift in freight transport from road to rail as part of a decarbonisation strategy. \u201cIn 2023, just over 1,400 freight trains operated through the Tunnel \u2013 an average of around five per working day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Data from parent company Getlink (ex-Eurotunnel Group) for 2024 showed that in Q3 the number of trains fell by 19 per cent compared to the same period in 2023 and by 19 per cent in the first nine months.<\/p>\n